


up in the air

by actuallyshua



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Meet-Cute, not beta'd op walked into this blind like wonwoo without his glasses, single parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 11:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21475258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actuallyshua/pseuds/actuallyshua
Summary: There were few things in this world that gave Mingyu as much joy as gaining a child's attention. When he'd be standing in line at the grocery store and a child would be peaking over their mother's shoulder, he would make funny faces, poke his tongue out, anything to make them smile. He'd spend his time at one of Joshua's parties thinking about what it would be like to settle down.A little cabin house in the woods. A golden retriever. The sing song laughter of his make believe family.Jeonghan called him a boring old man.Mingyu just called himself hopeful.Or -Mingyu finds himself feeling at home in an airport terminal
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 12
Kudos: 126





	up in the air

Mingyu didn't mind airports. He felt comfortable in the hustle and bustle, could never turn down Cinnabon, and enjoyed people watching, creating wild stories about the lives of the business men in stuffy suits or the families toting far too many suitcases. 

He did, however, find himself slightly annoyed that his flight was delayed. He tried not to let his disappointment show when the airline worker told him. It wasn't her fault. But he sunk into his seat as she walked away, wishing he brought something to read. Maybe he could grab something from one of those novelty shops, pick up some more snacks. After a quick shot of a text to his roommate, letting him know his ETA was up in the air (no pun intended) at the moment, he stretched his legs out, watching the people across the terminal lining up to board their plane. 

Mingyu wasn't particularly in any rush to get home. There wasn't a whole lot waiting for him. A roommate, Jeonghan, who would fill him in on all the Joshua related drama he was sure he had missed. There was something new with the two of them everyday. A boring desk job that he was sure had aged him at least thirty years. His unmade bed, unfolded laundry, probably a mug of tea that he forgot to toss before he left. But that's why he had flown to China in the first place. To find something greater than what was waiting for him in Korea. 

Jeonghan said the interview was an amazing opportunity. That if he said no, he'd receive a slap to the face. Mingyu believed him. 

He took the moments of silence to reflect on the interview. If his handshake was sturdy enough, if he smiled at the right times. He'd gone over his resume sixty times over, so he was sure there were no typos. Mingyu thought it went well, was proud of himself for taking a chance on something so out of his comfort zone. But only the passing of time, the hopeful ringing of his phone, would confirm that. 

Lost in his daydreams of a bigger office and new places to eat dinner, he didn't notice someone sitting down across from him.

He did, however, notice the sudden pain in his right foot.

"Lifen! I've told you to watch where you're rolling your suitcase. Apologize to him, please." 

It wasn't a harsh scolding, and when Mingyu looked to where it was being directed, he understood why.

A small girl stood, eyes wide with panic and hair done neatly in a bun. Her fuzzy white jacket nearly swallowed her whole and it took everything in Mingyu's power to not dissolve into a puddle right on the floor. 

"I'm sorry." She spoke in a voice just above a whisper, seemingly terrified Mingyu was going to erupt. 

"Oh, no. That's alright," He smiled, wiggling his left foot up, "See? I've got another one. Who needs two feet, anyway?" 

She smiled at this, bright and gap filled. 

"I have two feet." She pointed down and Mingyu was giddy with pride, sitting up properly in his seat. 

"You do! And very cute shoes, too." 

"Lifen, come sit down and stop bothering him, please." 

"She's not bo —" Mingyu's voice, like Ariel in that cave with Ursula, seemed to leave his throat like magic as he looked up to where the voice was coming from. Dressed in all black, a single thin silver chain hanging from the glasses that sat neatly atop his nose, Mingyu had never seen anyone so. _Cool. _Well, maybe that wasn't the first thought Mingyu had has he was dumbly staring at the man. It was the fifth, the other four would be for his upcoming conversation with Jeonghan. 

Immediately wishing he wasn't wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, he cleared his throat, trying to regain himself.

"She's not bothering me," He finished, "I love talking to kids." 

Why did he say that?

That was a weird thing to say, right?

Wrong. The man lifted his lips up into a smile, "Don't say that. Now you'll never get rid of her." 

"That's alright. We've got nothing but time since the delay." 

The smile disappeared, much to Mingyu's dismay, and the man's gaze diverted to the screen. Furrowed eyebrows and a sigh, he dug into the bag next to him. While he busied himself on his phone, Mingyu diverted his attention back to the girl. 

"Your name is Lifen? That's a very pretty name. What does it mean?" 

She beamed again, "It means I'm clever! What's your name?" 

"Mingyu," He held his hand out, dwarfing hers as they shook their hands a comical amount of times, "Very nice to meet you. Do you like to fly?" 

"I do. But dad doesn't." She looked towards the man who was now watching her with narrowed eyes, "He's afraid of it!"

Offense painted all over his face, he scoffed, "I am _not_ afraid of flying. I just prefer to be on the ground. Since we're here together for the next two hours, I'm Minghao." 

_Minghao_. Elegant, simple, rolls off the tongue. 

Exactly what Mingyu had expected. 

"Are you guys heading to Korea for anything special?" 

"She spends two weeks there every few months with her mother," Minghao nodded towards Lifen, who was rolling her baby pink suitcase back and forth, seemingly completely entertained by this, "She's only six so neither of us feel comfortable letting her fly alone. I know airlines have those supervisors, or something like that, but it just doesn't feel right to me." 

Feeling like he may have peaked too closely into their personal lives, Mingyu just nodded along awkwardly. Minghao didn't speak with any malice, no bite to his words. Maybe sensing his tension, or noticing the way he shifted in his seat, Minghao shot a smile at him.

"We get along really well, don't worry. It seems like an unfair schedule but we agreed on it a long time ago." 

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Sorry. I," He trailed off for a moment, "I'm just awkward. That's pretty much it." 

"That's alright. It can be a touchy subject. What about you?" 

Tension sliced away from him, Mingyu tried to relax under Minghao's gaze again, "I live there. I was just in town for a job interview. Looking to switch things up a little bit, I guess." 

"You're going to move here?" Lifen rejoined them, suitcase tucked away, and she clamored up the chair, taking a seat next to Mingyu. There were few things in this world that gave Mingyu as much joy as gaining a child's attention. When he'd be standing in line at the grocery store and a child would be peaking over their mother's shoulder, he would make funny faces, poke his tongue out, anything to make them smile. He'd spend his time at one of Joshua's parties thinking about what it would be like to settle down, not joining in the awkward dancing of feelings like Joshua and Jeonghan, just being comfortable with someone.

A little cabin house in the woods. A golden retriever. The sing song laughter of his make believe family.

Jeonghan called him a boring old man.

Mingyu just called himself hopeful. 

"I'm thinking about it. I've never lived anywhere else but Korea. Pretty boring, huh?" 

"Korea is fun. But China is fun too," Lifen looked far too deep in thought for a six-year-old, "I think I like both the same!" 

"You've always told me you like China more." Minghao chided playfully.

"I tell mom I like Korea more." The girl retorted, feet swinging back and forth as she stuck her tongue out at her father. 

Mingyu snorted at this, "Smart kid." 

"You have no idea, Mingyu. She once convinced me that her school was closed for a day because every single teacher mysteriously came down with the flu."

Feeling more comfortable by the second, relishing in the lively back and forth he was sharing with the two, Mingyu raised his eyebrows at Minghao, "I think you actually believing her says a lot more about you than it does about her." 

Minghao opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, resorting to just shaking his head a few times. Strands of light brown hair fell into his eyes, quickly brushed away by slender fingers. Mingyu knew he was staring, thankfully Minghao was glossing over a newly opened book, he couldn't help himself. And maybe it was foolish. Being immediately taken by a stranger in an airport with a child in tow. But Mingyu was never one to take life too seriously. 

"Do you like to play games?" Lifen, thankfully too small to notice how Mingyu was near drooling at her _father, _pulled him back to reality.

"Who doesn't like to play games?" 

And that question began the whirlwind that was Mingyu's wait in the airport. Mingyu taught Lifen new cards games and in turn, Lifen taught him that spending time on an airport floor was a lot more fun than people watching. He didn't catch the way Minghao was watching them, but he felt it on his back as Lifen was showing Mingyu her favorite book. He didn't see the small smiles playing on the man's lips, he didn't need to. Maybe he was just happy to have a moment of peace to read his book. Or maybe he was relishing in the way Lifen was all smiles and laughter and "Hey, Mingyu, look at this!" 

But when the final round of Go Fish ended, Lifen yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes as she did. 

"Lifen, why don't we take a little break? For your and Mingyu's sake." 

Mingyu took his seat again, watching with fond eyes as Lifen sat next to Minghao, holding a large elephant stuffed animal to her chest. He wished he had the ability to fall into slumber as quickly as she did. One head tilt onto Minghao's arm and her eyes closed, mind off to a land of unicorns and princesses. 

"Thank you for playing with her," Minghao spoke softly, "It was very sweet to watch. She usually doesn't open up like that to people." 

"No thank you needed. I'm a natural with kids." 

Minghao dog eared his book, setting it back in his bag, "You are. Do you have any?" 

"I have a roommate who acts a lot like one for the most part. But no, I don't. I've always liked kids a lot. I even thought about being a teacher." 

"You would be a great teacher. I may be biased as a father but kids are great. I got really lucky with her," Minghao glanced down at the tiny sleeping body next to him, Mingyu enamored with the way he looked at her, "I never thought I would be all that great at being a parent. Kids were never really something I ever thought about. She changed my mind about both of those things." 

"She's lucky to have you. Traveling with her, making whatever happened work and all of that. Your situation isn't my business but it's nice to see. I think we all get so used to hearing horror stories, you know?"

Minghao hummed, nodding a few times, "Her mother and I are friends. We have to be, I think. I still love her because she gave me Lifen so when she moved, we made it work. We didn't want to be one of those stories. Her schedule is much more demanding than mine so it made sense that Lifen spends most of her time with me." 

"What do you do?" Mingyu diverted the subject, noticing the small cloud forming in the room. 

"I'm an artist." 

Of course he was. 

Minghao had to have a career that was just as beautiful as he was. 

"That's so cool! Do you have a preferred style or do you experiment a lot?"

Minghao raised his eyebrows slightly, almost surprised he would ask, "I mostly oil paint. But actually I've recently gotten into photography. Still art, just another medium." 

And oh, Mingyu had never been so happy for a delayed flight before. 

"You don't say." Mingyu smiled, so widely his cheeks immediately started to hurt, before digging into his backpack. The item he was searching for was easy to find, clunky and taking up far too much room. He pulled his camera out and watched as Minghao's eyes widened. 

"Is that a Canon?" 

To save him the risk of waking the sound sleeping Lifen, Mingyu stood and took up the space on the other side of the man. Sure, it was talking shop. Technical camera terms and what they liked to shoot the most. But their shoulders knocking and Minghao's thigh resting against his made Mingyu feel more like they were sitting in a park on a spring afternoon than an airport terminal in fall. He watched as Minghao was clicking away on the camera, happily showing Mingyu the photos he'd taken, wondering how it felt like they had known each other for years. 

While Minghao was snapping photos of their shoes, "For art" he had said, Mingyu noticed the people surrounding them making their way towards the gate, bags and tickets in hand. Looking out the large window, the plane was neatly parked. Ready to take him home. Part of him had hoped the plane wouldn't show up.

"Looks like our ride is here." 

Minghao looked up from the camera, following Mingyu's gaze. His hands dropped slightly, "Oh, yeah. I'd almost forgotten we were waiting for a flight."

They shared a laugh. Maybe more than that. 

But the moments they were gathering their things, Minghao gently waking Lifen up, were odd. Mingyu couldn't put a finger on the feeling. But he was thinking of ways to ask Minghao to get a drink some time during his short stay in Korea. He wanted to see his art, wanted to talk about photography, wanted to hear more stories of Lifen as a baby, wanted to see his smile, the one that made his eyes look like shooting stars, just a little bit longer. 

"We're in group one," Minghao held up his ticket, "Perks of traveling with a kid. What about you?" 

Mingyu looked at his, inwardly groaning, "Six." 

"Are we getting on the plane now?" The small voice came from the floor and they both looked down at her. The once delicate bun now a mess, jacket crumpled up. 

"We are. Do you have all your things?"

"Are we going to see Mingyu again?" 

He would be lying if he said that hearing Lifen more concerned about him than her belongings didn't boost his ego a little bit. 

"I'll be sure to wave to you guys on my way to the back of the plane. And maybe we'll be able to see each other when we land." 

Mingyu glanced up at Minghao has he finished his sentence, relieved to see the man smiling. Boarding was called and Mingyu felt like he was saying goodbye to old friends. Lifen insisted on hugging him goodbye, saying it felt like hugging a bear. Mingyu would never deny her that. 

And so, as quickly as they had swept into his life, they were brushed out. He would see them again. Smile and wave as he would take his pitiful back of the plane seat. Probably unable to focus on whatever movie he would chose to watch, most likely practicing how to ask Minghao out, overthinking if he would say yes or not. 

It was going to be a long flight, to say the least. 

But maybe someone was looking down on him. Maybe fate just had a sick way of twisting everything around on him, sweeping the rug out from under his feet.

Because he didn't see Minghao and Lifen as he walked down the isle. 

He saw them when he stopped at his seat.

Row 23. Seat C. 

The isle seat in the neat row of three. 

Lifen, clapping her hands with a happy, "Mingyu!" 

Minghao, looking at him with meteor showers mixed with confusion in his eyes. 

It was going to be a long flight. And Mingyu had never been so thankful for that. 

**Author's Note:**

> its almost 4am wtf am i doing 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/hongshus)
> 
> comments and kudos always appreciated <3


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